The Branches of U.S. Government Quiz

Discussions about politics can be overheard almost anywhere, but how much do you really know about the nuts and bolts of our government? Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Independent or none of the above, find out if you can ace this quiz on branches of the U.S. government.

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Question 1 of 30

How many branches does the U.S. federal government have?

two

three

The United States Federal Government has three branches.

four

Question 2 of 30

Along with the legislative and executive branches, what is the third branch of the U.S. federal government?

investigative

financial

judicial

The judicial branch is the third branch of U.S. Federal Government.

Question 3 of 30

The Articles of Confederation was the first document to establish a federal government in the U.S. Which branch of government did it create?

judicial

executive

legislative

The Articles of Confederation only created the legislative branch, called the Congress of the United States. Without the executive and judicial branches, this early federal government had very little power.

Question 4 of 30

Which U.S. document replaced the Articles of Confederation and created the three branches of U.S. federal government?

the Declaration of Independence

the U.S. Constitution

In 1789, the U.S. Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation.

the Bill of Rights

Question 5 of 30

Where is the original U.S. Constitution document housed?

the National Archives

The original Constitution document is housed at the National Archives in Washington.

the Library of Congress

the U.S. Capitol

Question 6 of 30

The judicial branch of the U.S. Federal Government is made up of how many primary components?

one

two

three

The judicial branch is made up of three primary components: the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Question 7 of 30

True or false: Members of the U.S. Supreme Court are NOT elected.

true

The members of the U.S. Supreme Court, which is the primary component of the judicial branch, are not elected. The executive branch appoints each member, and the legislative branch confirms each member.

false

Question 8 of 30

How many justices serve on the U.S. Supreme Court?

seven

nine

There are nine members of the U.S. Supreme Court, including one chief justice and eight associate justices.

11

Question 9 of 30

Who determines the number of Supreme Court justices?

Congress

Congress determines the number of Supreme Court justices. The current number of nine has been in place since 1869. Prior to 1869, there were as few as six Supreme Court justices.

the president

the voting public

Question 10 of 30

How long is the term served by Supreme Court justices?

six years

eight years

no term limit

Members of the Supreme Court serve until they retire, are impeached and convicted by Congress or die.

Question 11 of 30

Which article of the U.S. Constitution establishes the judicial branch of the U.S. federal government?

Article I

Article II

Article III

Article III of the U.S. Constitution begins by stating that "the judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court."

Question 12 of 30

How many times has a Supreme Court justice been impeached?

never

once

In 1805, Associate Justice Samuel Chase became the first and only justice to be impeached by the House of Representatives. However, he was acquitted by the Senate and remained on the Supreme Court.

twice

Question 13 of 30

To keep any one branch of the U.S. government from becoming too powerful, the Constitution established a system called checks and what?

balances

The presidential veto is part of the system of checks and balances.

approvals

vetoes

Question 14 of 30

Who was the only U.S. president to also serve as a Supreme Court chief justice?

Warren G. Harding

William H. Taft

Taft was the 27th president of the United States from 1909-13 and then became the 10th chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, serving from 1921-30.

Woodrow Wilson

Question 15 of 30

Which article of the U.S. Constitution establishes the executive branch of the U.S. Federal Government?

Article II

Article II was signed in convention in September 1787.

Article III

Article IV

Question 16 of 30

The executive branch of the U.S. government is known as which governing body or office?

the House of Representatives

the Senate

the presidency

The U.S. presidency, including the vice president, makes up the executive branch of the U.S. government.

Question 17 of 30

True or false: To serve as the president of the United States, a person must be 45 years old.

true

false

Article II of the Constitution requires a person to be at least 35 years old to serve as the president.

Question 18 of 30

As of 2016, how many people have served as president of the United States?

44

There have been 44 people who have served as the president, with Barack Obama as the 44th.

42

40

Question 19 of 30

How many four year terms can a U.S. president serve?

one

two

A president may only serve two four-year terms in office, as stated by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. A president may, however, serve a total of 10 years in office if he or she takes over for another president in the last two years of the elected term.

three

Question 20 of 30

Who is the only vice president and, later, president who was never elected to either office?

Gerald Ford

In 1973, Ford was nominated to replace vice president Spiro Agnew when he resigned. Ford then became president of the United States when Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, making Ford the only person to serve both jobs without ever being elected.

William McKinley

Theodore Roosevelt

Question 21 of 30

Which position does the vice president hold in the legislative branch?

none

president of the Senate

The vice president is also the president of the Senate. The vice president is therefore the only person to hold power in both the executive and legislative branches.

speaker of the House

Question 22 of 30

The U.S. president resides in the White House, but what is the official residence of the vice president?

the West Wing of the White House

the Smithsonian Castle

the U.S. Naval Observatory

While the vice president does have an office in the West Wing of the White House, the official residence of the vice president is the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington.

Question 23 of 30

Which office does the president hold over the United States military?

commander in chief

Upon taking the oath of office, the president immediately becomes the commander in chief of the United States armed forces.

commander in charge

general in chief

Question 24 of 30

Which of the following is NOT a power granted to the president of the United States?

veto congressional legislation

issue executive orders

overrule the Supreme Court

The president cannot overrule the Supreme Court. U.S. presidents can and do, however, veto congressional legislation and issue executive orders.

Question 25 of 30

The President is elected by the Electoral College. How many electors make up the Electoral College?

438

538

The Electoral College comprises 538 electors, equal to the current number of senators and representatives that serve in Congress.

638

Question 26 of 30

Which article of the Constitution establishes the legislative branch of the U.S. government?

Article I

Article I consists of 10 sections.

Article III

Article V

Question 27 of 30

How many governing bodies make up the legislative branch of government, which is also known as Congress?

one

two

Two governing bodies make up the legislative branch: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

three

Question 28 of 30

How many senators serve in the United States Senate?

100

Regardless of size or population, each of the 50 states elects two senators for staggered six-year terms, making a total of 100 senators in the United States Senate.

200

400

Question 29 of 30

True or false: Congress has the authority to override a presidential veto

true

Congress has the authority to override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate.

false

Question 30 of 30

How many representatives are there in the U.S. House of Representatives?

235

335

435

All 50 states are divided into 435 districts of approximately 710,000 people. Each of these districts elects a representative to a two-year term, making a total of 435 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives.